PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a lightweight MMA rules bout between Shinji Tomoguchi (ranked 2858 p4p, 4285 weight class) and James White (ranked 358 p4p, 482 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Tomoguchi
vs
White

180 cm
20
155
5 - 5 - 0

178 cm
21
158
2 - 3 - 0

Good wrestling
Basic striking
Granite chin

Decent wrestler
Excellent boxer
Granite chin

Vegan Gains

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the lightweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of London, Shinji Tomoguchi!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, James White!
The judges for this bout are Chad Campbell, Steve Montenegro and Eddie Farnsworth.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
White takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.

Tomoguchi clinches.
Tomoguchi scores with a shot to the side of White's head.
White wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
Tomoguchi has White pressed against the cage, preventing White from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
White wants to break free. God knows he wants to breaaaak freeee.
White is looking to break free of the clinch but Tomoguchi has double underhooks.
Tomoguchi throws a punch but it's blocked by White.
Tomoguchi lands on the inside with an uppercut.
White misses with a punch on the inside.
Tomoguchi tries to work over White's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
Still in the clinch, Tomoguchi scores with a nice short uppercut.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi cracks White with a nice body shot.
White is looking to break free of the clinch but Tomoguchi has double underhooks.
Tomoguchi throws a hook to the body. More of an arm punch but it's all scoring with the judges.
A nice right hand lands inside from Tomoguchi.
A short uppercut from Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Tomoguchi has White pressed against the cage, preventing White from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
White's coach down at CHECKMATE PRIME MMA was telling us pre-fight that they have been working on White's balance. Obviously they view that as a key factor in the outcome of this fight.
White can't break the clinch.
A short right from Tomoguchi on the inside.
White tries to break free but Tomoguchi pushes him back against the cage.
Tomoguchi tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A short right from Tomoguchi.
A short uppercut from Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi misses with a body punch.
Tomoguchi has White pressed against the cage, preventing White from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
A short left from Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi working aggressively here.
White has had enough of the clinch but Tomoguchi keeps him there for the moment.
Tomoguchi prevents White from breaking the clinch.
Tomoguchi lands a left hand.
Tomoguchi keeps the fight in the clinch, despite White's efforts to push away.
Tomoguchi lands with a quick shot inside that doesn't really do much damage.
Tomoguchi misses with a punch on the inside.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
A head punch blocked on the inside by White.
White wants to get back to striking at distance but Tomoguchi won't allow it.
White is trying to push Tomoguchi away but Tomoguchi has him pressed against the cage, so he's going nowhere.
Tomoguchi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Tomoguchi tries to work over White's body with a swooping hook but it only glances the target.
White blocks a body shot from Tomoguchi.
White tries to break the clinch but Tomoguchi is controlling the position.
Tomoguchi lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White is trying to slow down the pace in the clinch, to catch his breath.
White wants to get back to striking at distance but Tomoguchi won't allow it.
Tomoguchi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
White has a couple of punches blocked by Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi lands with a short head shot on the inside.
A short right from Tomoguchi on the inside.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
A head punch on the inside from Tomoguchi fails to land.
White misses with a body punch.
Tomoguchi throws a head punch that misses.
Tomoguchi goes for a body shot but it's blocked.
Tomoguchi scores with an uppercut up the middle.
A body shot lands from Tomoguchi.
White prevents a body shot from Tomoguchi.

White breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Tomoguchi jabs White right on the nose. White blinks but takes it well.
Tomoguchi swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Tomoguchi uses good head movement to avoid the hook from White.
White swings wildly with a hook that is half blocked by Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Tomoguchi throws a shot from downtown. White moves away and avoids it.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Shinji Tomoguchi dominated that round.
The corners get their ten second warning. Both fighters stand from their stools and stare each other down, ready to get back to the action.

Tomoguchi is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by White.
Tomoguchi is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that White can do to turn this around?
White throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Tomoguchi keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from White.
Tomoguchi misses with a hook.
White lands the left hand.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
White connects with a lovely jab that went straight through the gap between Tomoguchi's hands.
White connects with a jab.
White scores with the left hand. Tomoguchi knows he should have avoided that one.
Tomoguchi throws a poor cross that misses
and White counters with a nice jab to the body that keeps Tomoguchi thinking.
A jab from White finds it's way through Tomoguchi's defenses.
White slips under a jab.
White misses the shot to the body.
White with a nice cross.
Shinji Tomoguchi seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
White scores with a sloppy punch to the body. Not much technique there but it did the business.
Tomoguchi takes a shot to the body in his stride.
Tomoguchi throws a monster uppercut resembling something out of street fighter but it doesn't land.
White misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Tomoguchi.
Nice defenses there by White.

Tomoguchi closes the distance and clinches.
Tomoguchi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Tomoguchi misses with a shot to the kidneys.
Tomoguchi working aggressively here.
Tomoguchi working aggressively here.
White wants to get back to striking at distance but Tomoguchi won't allow it.
Tomoguchi lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Tomoguchi prevents White from breaking the clinch.
Tomoguchi has a couple of punches blocked by White.
A left hand lands to the body for Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Whites head.
A head punch blocked on the inside by White.
Tomoguchi throws a head punch that misses.
A right hand to the body from Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi prevents White from breaking the clinch.
Tomoguchi has a couple of punches blocked by White.
Tomoguchi lands an uppercut.
Tomoguchi misses with a body punch.
White tries to break the clinch but Tomoguchi is controlling the position.
Tomoguchi swings away with an uppercut that misses.
White wants to strike at distance but he can't break free of the clinch.
A right hook to the body lands for Tomoguchi.
White takes a shot to the head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
White is trying to force a seperation but Tomoguchi has the dominant position.
White fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Tomoguchi lands a shot to the body.
White blocking some punches.
Both fighters working to control the clinch.
Tomoguchi lands a right uppercut that snaps the head of White backwards.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Tomoguchi blocks a body shot from White.
Tomoguchi digs a right hand underneath White's ribcage. White let out a lung full of air as it connected.
Tomoguchi lands a body shot in the clinch.
White is trying to force a seperation but Tomoguchi has the dominant position.
White blocks an uppercut.
A quick uppercut on the inside from Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi has a couple of punches blocked by White.
Tomoguchi lands a hook to the side of the head.
White takes a shot to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
White tries to circle away but Tomoguchi has him pinned against the cage.
White misses with a shot to the kidneys.
White's head jolts backwards as he takes an uppercut right on the button!
A left hand lands to the body for Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi lands a left hand that snaps the head of White backwards.
Tomoguchi lands punches inside but they're not really causing much damage.
And that is the end of the round. The fighters go back to their corners.

Shinji Tomoguchi dominated that second round.
That's time! Back to the action! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

White displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Tomoguchi throws out the jab.
Tomoguchi misses the shot to the body.
White staying out of range there.
James White seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Tomoguchi misses with an uppercut.
A little jabbing left from White on the counter but it doesn't find it's target.
White loads up on a big right hand but Tomoguchi slips the punch.
White fakes and then throws a beautiful body shot. Tomoguchi looks a bit winded and takes a step backwards to take a breath.
Tomoguchi wants to clinch up but White keeps it at a distance.
White takes a swing at Tomoguchi's ribcage but misses.

Tomoguchi has managed to clinch.
Shinji Tomoguchi has scored more points in the clinch so far.
Tomoguchi fails to land with a short punch on the inside.
Tomoguchi has not gone for a single takedown so far in this fight, which seems like a very strange tactic when you consider that he has the superior wrestling and BJJ.
Tomoguchi softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.
Tomoguchi misses with a hook to the ribs.
Tomoguchi can't find room to land a body shot as White controls the action.
White has had enough of the clinch but Tomoguchi keeps him there for the moment.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
A head punch blocked on the inside by Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi throws a head punch that misses.
Tomoguchi works for underhooks and lands a body shot in the process.
Tomoguchi working aggressively here.
Tomoguchi scores with a nice hook to the head.
Tomoguchi lands with a short punch from the clinch.
Tomoguchi makes some space for himself and lands an uppercut.

That's one minute gone in the round.
White prevents a body shot from Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi throws a punch but it's blocked by White.
Tomoguchi working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
Tomoguchi tries to throw a body punch but White avoids it by throwing Tomoguchi back against the cage.
Tomoguchi tries a shoulder strike but it doesn't do any damage.
Tomoguchi misses with the head strike.
Tomoguchi lands a shoulder strike.
Tomoguchi lands with a right to the head.
White has had enough of the clinch and is looking to separate.
A head punch on the inside from Tomoguchi fails to land.
Tomoguchi lands a hook to the body. It's hard to tell if that hurt White or not.
Tomoguchi tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Tomoguchi lands with a left to the head.
White tries to break the clinch but Tomoguchi is controlling the position.
Tomoguchi working on landing some head shots here - that one got through nicely.
With the fighters clinched against the cage, Tomoguchi creates a bit of distance for himself and scores with a nice uppercut.
Tomoguchi misses with a hook from the clinch.
A battle for position here, against the cage.
White tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A head punch on the inside from Tomoguchi fails to land.
Tomoguchi has White pressed against the cage, preventing White from circling away and getting back to striking at range.
White tries to circle away but Tomoguchi has him pinned against the cage.
Tomoguchi lands a body shot in the clinch.
A shot in the inside from Tomoguchi.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Tomoguchi is leaning against White and scores with a nice uppercut to the body.
White tries to break free but Tomoguchi pushes him back against the cage.
A short left from Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi scores with a shot to the side of White's head.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Tomoguchi.
Tomoguchi scores with a nice hook to the head.
White blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
A short left from Tomoguchi.
A body shot lands from White.
Tomoguchi is working White over against the cage.
Tomoguchi misses with the head strike.
Tomoguchi scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Tomoguchi lands a left hand that snaps the head of White backwards.
James White has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Tomoguchi lands with a good tight uppercut to the head.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Tomoguchi pushes White back against the cage and unloads with a body punch.

And that's the end of the fight!
Shinji Tomoguchi showed his dominance in that final round.
Well I reckon that's a shut out for Tomoguchi, winning every round. Will the judges agree? They are the ones who matter, even if they are often depressingly incompetent. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Chad Campbell scores the fight 30:27
Judge Steve Montenegro scores the fight 30:26
Judge Eddie Farnsworth scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Shinji Tomoguchi!
Shinji Tomoguchi was full of energy after the big win and talked about how he thinks he can do big things in this sport. The crowd were appreciative of his determination to succeed.